| TO: | Honorable Kenny Marchant, Chair, House Committee on State Affairs |
| FROM: | John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB1302 by Geren (Relating to the application of the open meetings law and the public information law to deliberations and information regarding the safety, security or integrity of public water and sewer supplies and public water and sewer systems.), As Introduced |
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
The bill would allow governmental bodies to be exempt from open meetings requirements when conducting a meeting to deliberate any matters concerning threats, protection, or response to potential or actual threats of vandalism or terrorism to public water or sewer supplies. The bill would also restrict information relating to responses to or protection from potential acts of terrorism affecting the safety, security, or integrity of a public water or sewer supply or system from public access. Public access would also be restricted from information relating to public water or sewer supplies if the governmental body determines that disclosure of security information would present a risk public health or safety.
Although there could be some costs to state agencies, since certain data and records would have to be treated differently than other information. However, these costs are not anticipated to be significant.
| Source Agencies: | 580 Water Development Board, 582 Commission On Environmental Quality, 802 Parks And Wildlife Department
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| LBB Staff: | JK, RR, TL
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